Toe Meets Leather

NAI Brannen Goddard's Charles Pledger (left) and Mark Sheffield (right).

NAI Brannen Goddard fits the bill with Charles Pledger, a defensive back at Georgia in the early '90s, and Mark Sheffield, a defensive back at Tech in the early '80s. Pledger grew up in Athens and moved to Atlanta after graduating from UGA. Of course, he maintains his ties to the UGA athletics and also coaches 9- and 10-year-old NYO football with Knox Culpepper, a UGA linebacker in the '80s.

"Playing sports, you learn how to manage your time and dedication and hard work, and that's what real estate is all about," Pledger said. "The biggest thing is dedication and focus, because this is not the easiest business to get started in."

Though separated by a decade, Sheffield claims he could still take Pledger in a 40-yard dash. Sheffield played for Bill Curry, now Georgia State's coach, and was recruited by Pepper Rogers, who had Steve Spurrier and Norm Van Brocklin on his staff in the late '70s. He was a four-year starter at Tech and vividly remembers running on to Grant Field the first game of his freshman year and seeing Bear Bryant leaning against the goal post as the Jackets prepared to face the University of Alabama.

The competitive aspect of college football helped prepare Sheffield for the business world, but it also taught him balance. "Never allow yourself to get too high, and never allow yourself to get too low because tomorrow brings a new opportunity," Sheffield said.

Machete!

Shan Morris of Wildmor Realty.

CB Richard Ellis' Atlanta office could field its own team of former college football stars, with Jim Bob Taylor at QB, or at least put together a pretty good offensive line with Chris Port, who played at Duke; Tony Kepano, a Tech offensive lineman who blocked for Taylor; John Porter, another Tech offensive lineman; and Bret White and Jeff Henson, long snappers at Tech and UGA, respectively.

Kepano owns the distinction of being one of the few college football players recruited by the president of the United States. As a high school senior and Parade All American out of Washington, D.C.'s Virginia suburbs, Kepano visited the White House where Jimmy Carter suggested he give The Institute and Bill Curry a shot. After a stint in the NFL, Kepano returned to Atlanta, went to work for Kim King and now is one of the Southeast's leading industrial brokers. He's also an avid triathlete, but looks forward to fall football Saturdays where he can tailgate, enjoy a frosty beverage and a rack of ribs and sleep in until 6:30 a.m.

To Kepano, real estate and football parallel in one important respect: you produce or you don't. As he was told early in his real estate career, production is the only genuine way to measure a broker's performance. The only questions that really matter: Do they make money, and do clients like working with them?

"One of the things I learned and liked about sports is that you couldn't hide," Kepano said. "If you boil it down to its essence, real estate is like that, too."